Kia Carnival, the car that will fit 8 people

I wasn’t looking forward to the prospect of driving a van. I mean, it’s a van. But this month I have my sister-in-law visiting from London, and we have been pretty squished between children’s car seats as we show her around Sydney in a normal five-seater. So I was looking forward to the comfort an eight-seater people mover would bring.

And while a van is not my dream car, if you have six kids? You might just need one. It’s huge inside, it will fit your whole drum kit if you’re in a band (or just generally have a lot of stuff to carry) and has enormous boot space.

It’s not my dream car as I only have two children, but if you’ve been a prolific breeder and have six kids, the Carnival is a pretty fab choice.

Nedahl Stelio

It’s sportier looking than most vans and has automatically opening side doors, but even though the one I drove is the top of the range Carnival, it’s not particularly luxe inside. It’s also quite large to drive and does take a while to reverse park, just because it’s so big. That said, if you are after a van, the Kia Carnival has all you need and is practicality personified.